Get that dewy-Asian-skincare-ad look with Tony Moly Luminous Goddess Aura Beam!

I got this product when I had reaaaally dry skin, to the point that BB Cream would just do more harm than good! Because for me, dry skin + BB cream = leathery and old ㅠㅠ I sought out this product as a way to improve my base finish. My skin is not nearly as dry anymore (not because of this, though), but let’s see how this product fares!





Basically, you mix this with your BB cream to give it some extra moisture and shine. You mix it in a 1:2 Aura Beam: BB cream ratio. You can also use it alone as a highlighter.

(Until now, I totally forgot that it was 1:2 ratio...so I've actually been using a 1:1 ratio! Please keep that in mind when you see my swatches~ ^^;;)

Price in Korea: 13,000KRW
Price on Koreadepart: $12.18 (click here)
Weight: 67g
Expiry: 12 months

[ Dimensions: H=10.5cm | W=5.3cm | T=3cm]

When I first picked this up, I was quite surprised at how light the tube was! I’d say it was only a bit more than half full when I got it…? But I only use a small bit each time, so it’ll still last a good while!

It’s a light, semi-transparent pink with some shimmer scattered within it:



A closeup of the shimmer:


I’m sorry…I will wax my hands next time!! >.<

Spread out:



When mixed, it makes my BB cream a tid bit lighter:

(natural lighting)





On its own, it’s thick and sticky. See how it’s able to stand up in a poo-shape on its own? It’s even stickier when you spread it out.





It mixes very easily and smoothly with BB cream. (However, I will say that the first 8 or so times that I used it, it was veeeeerrry sticky, lumpy, and super hard to mix with the BB cream! Thankfully that was only the first bit out of the tube; it has since then improved a lot. So if it happens to you, don’t fret!)


When I mix it with my BB cream, my BB cream becomes thinner and more…liquidy, shall we say? For example, do you see how the unmixed BB cream has a lumpy shape to it, but the mixed BB cream has flattened out into a smooth little blob?



(natural lighting)

Here I’ve swiped the two blobs, and you can see that the mixed BB cream is slightly thinner and more runny than the unmixed version:


(natural lighting)
It may not be super noticeable now, but the difference is there once you apply it to your face!





This product definitely makes the BB cream streak more. I normally apply my BB cream with a brush, but I now use a sponge to blend it in afterwards.

Because this made my BB cream more liquidy, the moisture in my BB cream did not get soaked up immediately by my dry skin like it normally does! In fact, it didn’t soak up at all! :D In other words, the BB cream was easier to spread, and a little went a longer way! Not to mention, I can also feel the moisture difference on my skin.

Another consequence of this product is that if I don’t set my BB cream, it scratches off more easily than unmixed BB cream (especially on my T-zone).





It gives my entire face a noticeable dewy/liquidy shine, like I got sprayed by some mist. It's not subtle, but it's not to the point where you look greasy either! Some lighting accentuates it more than others. For example~!


More obvious: dim, uneven lighting. Here I'm standing far away from the natural lighting that's coming through the window. It looks like I sprayed myself with a mist:




Less obvious: brighter, even lighting. If I stand closer to the window, it's a much more subtle dewiness:



But even when it's subtle, you can still see a difference in the base application:


See how it's a liiiittle flaky without the Aura Beam?

Now back when I had reaaaally dry and flakey skin, this product wouldn't COMPLETELY fix my base makeup, but it did help a bit! Also note that if you proceed to apply a powder over it, the shine and dewiness will of course be stripped right away!






All in all, I like it! I don’t think I can go back to just applying BB cream directly onto my skin anymore. It improves my base makeup by making my BB cream easier to apply evenly and blend. This also prevents me from applying way too much BB cream and looking cakey! If I was into the dewy look, I’d like it even more. ^^ I will repurchase this with my own money!

Tony Moly Intense Care Syn-ake Eye Mask

You read correctly: Syn-ake! As in…snake! Say hello to Mother Nature’s Botox Surgeon, the Temple Viper!

Simply put, Syn-ake is a synthetic imitation of a peptide found in the venom of the Temple Viper. Just like Botox, Syn-ake works to smooth skin and reduce wrinkles by inhibiting muscle contractions. Creative, huh?

As with Snail mucin, many Korean brands also have some sort of Syn-ake line. Now I have way too many under-eye lines from laughing and smiling, so let’s see if this Syn-ake mask can help me!

Brand: Tony Moly
Name: Intense Care Syn-ake Eye Mask (there’s also a Snail version)
Syn-ake Concentration: 1000ppm (parts per million)
Price in Korea: 2,500KRW for 1

(*Price on Koreadepart: $11.71 for 5 pieces)

[ Width: 9cm | Height: 11cm ]
It’s basically a small stiff plastic packet, with two interconnected compartments which hold the masks and some juice—yeah, I’ll just call it juice!

Also, do you see those indentations on the back of the packaging? Those are the only parts of the package where it's actually "sealed," and they're sealed by weak glue:


Be careful, for once once the corners come off the rest quickly follow suit.




The masks are made of a soft, jelly-like material. It’s very slippery and moist when you first open it:



It's not super fragile, but fingernails will leave tiny tears in it. It is quite soft though, as you can see by how easily I left fingerprints:

(*Note, this picture was taken after I used it, which is why it's not as moist.)





Unlike in the diagram, I decided to place the masks much closer to my lower lash line. (I mean, that's where all my wrinkles are...) Positioning it was a bit difficult since it’s so slippery. I had to lie down, but even so, it still kept moving around for the first 20-25 minutes or so.

It didn’t hurt to place it so close to my eyes, by the way. It's very gentle, and it doesn't feel like anything, really. Not even a tingle!



Now again, don't laugh!! I started getting these laugh lines from a very young age... Believe me, I even tried to become a serious person! (Didn't work out, obviously.) I also partially blame the macro lens for accentuating them, heh heh...

But regardless, the point is to look at the results!




As you can see, there is definitely a visible improvement! My undereye area became tighter and smoother, and my fine lines are now notably less visible. They're still very much there, but instead of fat, deep cross-hatches, they're now delicate little lines. And it looks even better in real life! (Not talking about the two major lines at the top; those I don't mind so much. It's the leathery-look that bothers me!)

Unfortunately I haven’t used it enough just yet to report on long-term results, but I’ll definitely keep this post (along with my Skinfood Egg post) updated!




I liiike it! Now, I wouldn’t say it’s a super SUPER dramatic result--again, the macro lens exaggerates things a bit--but the improvement is definitely there! I can't wait to buy a bunch more and see what happens with regular use! I'll admit that it is somewhat time consuming, considering you're literally chained to the bed for 40 minutes. But undereye skin just is too delicate to be ignored, you know? I know I will be on the hunt for more eye-masks and Syn-ake products~!


This review was generously sponsored by Koreadepart. Grab your pack of 5 for $11.71 here!


So how bout you, do you suffer from under-eye lines? Better yet, would you try a SYN-AKE product?!